We are thrilled to be celebrating our 50th year as a beauty school in Oklahoma! Now is the perfect time to take a look back in time and dream about what the future has in store!

Timeline

Broken Arrow Beauty College (BABC) opened in 1969 in downtown Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. It was purchased by our current owner, Frances Sells, in 1983. At the time, there were only 11 students! Frances had always been passionate about education and owning a beauty school was a natural fit. With a master’s in education, her career began as a public school educator before she moved into the private sector. She had big dreams for Broken Arrow Beauty College and couldn’t wait to get started!

In 1984, BABC became nationally accredited under National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) and was able to offer Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®)*. A big highlight for us was when we became the first Pivot Point school in Oklahoma in 1985. This allowed us to provide an education that could help students prepare for a future in the beauty industry!

Only five years after purchasing, we had already grown out of the existing building and moved to Elmwood Center. We saw growth and leased more space to meet the demand. Our beauty programs continued to fill up and waitlists grew, so in 2004 we opened a second location, Cosmetology Education Center (CEC), in Tulsa.

Jeffrey Sells, Frances’ son, officially joined the BABC family business as Director of Cosmetology Education Center in 2004.

He had spent many years before helping at the schools and was very familiar with how it was run. Jeff had previously worked in the IT industry and technical management. This previous knowledge allowed him to improve the methods and tools we taught. Our Tulsa location was growing quickly and establishing itself in the community.

In the spring of 2019, the decision was made to say goodbye to our Broken Arrow, OK location and merge both campuses. We are so incredibly proud of our 50 year history in Oklahoma and look forward to the next 50 years in and around Tulsa, with our BABC name.

What We Stand For

“Our mission is to provide a conscientious, scientific educational training program, based on proven techniques and sound business principles to prepare our graduates for gainful employment in the profession as a Cosmetologist, an Esthetician, a Manicurist, or as a Master Instructor.” – Broken Arrow Beauty College mission statement

What Makes BABC Unique

We are proud of the culture we have created at Broken Arrow Beauty College. As a family run business, family always comes first. Every student who comes to our school is part of our family. We will do our best to get to know each student individually, learn about them, and figure out how we can help them accomplish their goals!

All six of our current instructors are BABC Master Instructor program graduates. They have been in your shoes and know how they can help you thrive in the classroom and beyond. Our students have the opportunity to get a quality education that will set them up for a future in the beauty industry.

Looking to the Future

As we look back, it’s exciting to see just how far we have come. We look forward to continuing as a part of our community, providing quality beauty education, and preparing our students for futures in the beauty industry. We will continue to grow and adapt with the times and can’t wait to see where the future takes us!

If you’re interested in becoming a part of the Broken Arrow Beauty College family, contact us today! If you are passionate about hair and love to play with color, consider our basic cosmetology program! Help others love the skin they are in with our esthetics program. Or, have fun and express yourself in our manicurist or basic barbering program! We are excited for future students to become part of the BABC legacy!

*Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

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